NEWS ARCHIVE

California Senate passes 'sanctuary state' bill

WEBVTT EDIE: AND WE'RE BACK WITH A LIVELOOK AT THE STATE CAPITOL, ANDTONIGHT, CALIFORNIA IS A STEPCLOSER TO BECOMING A SANCTUARYSTATE.TODAY, THE SENATE PASSED A BILLTHAT WOULD LIMIT COOPERATIONBETWEEN LOCAL AND STATE LAWENFORCEMENT AND FEDERALIMMIGRATION OFFICERS.>> HERE IN CALIFORNIA, WE'RESAYING WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OFFOLKS. BRIAN: AND KCRA 3'S DANA GRIFFINIS LIVE AT THE CAPITOL TOEXPLAIN THIS CONTENTIOUS ISSUE.DANA: THAT'S RIGHT.SENATE BILL 54 WOULD ALLOW LOCALLAW ENFORCEMENT TO BE ON TASKFORCES WITH ICE, AS LONG AS THEPRIMARY PURPOSE IS NOTIMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.THAT BILL PASSED, AND IT NOWMOVES ON TO THE ASSEMBLY.[CHANTING]DANA: SUPPORTERS OF KEEPING ICEOUT OF CALIFORNIA CHEER AND HIGHOUTSIDE THE SENATE DOORS.FIVE ONCE THE "SANCTUARY STATEBILL" PAST.JOCEELYN AVELICA'S SAYS HERFATHER WAS DETAINED OUTSIDE OFHER SISTER'S SCHOOL LAST MONTHAND HE'S IN JEOPARDY OF BEINGDEPORTED.>> THIS WILL HELP OTHER FAMILIESAND I WOULDN'T WANT ANY OTHER, FAMILY TO GO THROUGH THE PAINOUR FAMILY IS GOING THROUGH.DANA: THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATIONHAS THREATENED TO WITHHOLDFEDERAL FUNDING TO SANCTUARYCITIES.AND SENATE PRESIDENT KEVINDELEON SAYS HE HOPES THIS PUSHFORWARD WON'T HURT THE STATE.>> WILL HE STRIKE BACK AT US?WE DON'T KNOW.WE HOPE NOT.HE'S THE PRESIDENT OF THEGREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.IT'S NOT ABOUT RETRIBUTION, IT'SABOUT BRINGING THE COUNTRYTOGETHER, NOT TEARING AT THEFABRIC OF WHO WE ARE AS ANATION.DANA: SACRAMENTO IS ONE OF MANYCALIFORNIA COUNTIES THAT ALLOWSICE AGENTS FULL ACCESS TO THECOUNTY JAIL.LAST WEEK SHERIFF SCOTT JONES, EXPLAINED WHY.>> THE BEST WAY TO KEEPWIDESPREAD NETS FROM BEING CASTIN OUR COMMUNITIES IS TO ALLOWUS TO COOPERATE IN OUR JAILS TOPROTECT THE COMMUNITY FROM THEWORST OF THE WORST.WE NEED TO ALLOW ICE TO COME INAND CARRY OUT THEIR MISSIONAND REMOVE THESE FOLKS IFAPPROPRIATE.DANA: AND REPUBLICAN SENATORJOEL ANDERSON OF SAN DIEGO SAYSTHIS BILL IS THE GREATEST THREATTO DREAMERS.>> BY NOT ALLOWING ICE ACCESS TOFELONS IN OUR PRISON SYSTEM, ITFORCES THEM TO GO DOOR TO DOOR.AND WHEN THEY COME INTO THEUNDOCUMENTED COMMUNITIES,THEY'RE NOT JUST GOING TO TAKEFELONS.THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE EVERYONE.DANA: ONE OF THE CONCESSIONS ISTO ALLOW LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENTTO NOTIFY I WHEN THEY HAVEBEEN CONVICTED OF A SERIOUSCRIME.DANA GRIFFIN, KCRA 3 NEWS.BRIAN: ANY INDICATION IF THISWILL PASS THE ASSEMBLY?DANA: NOT AT THIS POINT.IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE COULD BEMORMONS MADE IN ORDER FOR IT TO

The California State Senate passed the California Values Act, also known as the sanctuary state bill, Monday.

Senate Bill 54, which was authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de León, would prohibit local law enforcement from enforcing immigration laws or using their resources to investigate or arrest people for immigration violations.

The state Senate passed the measure on a 27-12 vote Monday, sending it to the Assembly.

The bill was amended last week by de León, D-Los Angeles, and will now allow local and state agencies to let Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents know before convicted felons of serious or violent crimes are released from custody. It also makes it easier for local agencies to transfer criminals into ICE's custody.

The changes to the bill also allow California law enforcement agencies to work with ICE task forces if the main purpose of the team is not immigration enforcement.

"We will cooperate with our friends at the federal level with serious and violent felons. But we won't cooperate or lift a finger or spend a single cent when we're talking about separating children from their mothers, mothers from their children," de León said. "That's not who we are as a great state."

Proponents said the bill rebukes President Donald Trump for his immigration crackdown. Opponents said it endangers the public by shielding criminals from being deported.

Republican Sen. Joel Anderson, of San Diego, said SB54 is the greatest threat to "dreamers," people who were brought to U.S. illegally before the age of 16 and are safe from deportation under an Obama Administration policy.

"By not allowing ICE access to felons in our prison system, it forces them to go door-to-door," he said. "And when they come into the undocumented communities, they're not just going to take felons -- they're going to take everyone."

Trump in January signed an order threatening to withdraw federal grants from jurisdictions that bar officials from communicating with federal authorities about someone's immigration status.

"By passing this today you'll be kicking the president right in the groin, and I can imagine he's going to strike back," Sen. Jeff Stone, R-Temecula, said.

"Will he strike back at us? We don't know," de León said. "He's the president of the greatest country in the world. It's not about retribution. It's about bringing the country together, not tearing at the fabric of who we are as a nation."

De León also stripped the bill of a provision that would have required a two-thirds vote. Passing the measure with a simple majority means it wouldn't take effect until Jan. 1, while the previous version would have taken effect immediately.

California lawmakers also advanced two other bills that attempt to impede the president's immigration policies. They sent the Assembly a bill, SB6, that would provide $12 million to pay lawyers for immigrants facing deportation, and another measure, SB31, that would bar state officials from sharing data if the federal government creates a Muslim registry.

California is home to an estimated 2.3 million immigrants who do not have legal authorization. San Francisco, which is among cities with its own sanctuary law, is suing over Trump's executive order.

The California State Senate passed the California Values Act, also known as the sanctuary state bill, Monday.

Senate Bill 54, which was authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de León, would prohibit local law enforcement from enforcing immigration laws or using their resources to investigate or arrest people for immigration violations.